You are the Head of Programming at the Kyiv International Short Film Festival. What do you think, does a jury role require a somewhat different approach on judging films?

When it comes to judging films, I believe it's important to go beyond simply assessing their quality. While it's essential to evaluate films following the particular criteria such as the story, visuals, and production level, it's also worth considering the impact a particular work may have and how receiving an award can affect a filmmaker's future career, as well as acknowledging their background.

You also have experience in film distribution. How do you see the current state of cinematic distribution in Europe? What are the biggest threats for cinema and what can a film distributor do about it?

Based on my personal experience of working in Ukraine, the past years have been incredibly challenging. We faced the global lockdown and the russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which made it, as you might imagine, difficult to operate. Besides the crucial matter of safety, getting viewers back to cinemas has been a struggle, especially since part of Ukrainian territory is temporarily occupied and many regions are under daily russian shelling. Another issue is that some international film distributors and sales agents continue to do business with Russian buyers, despite calls from the Ukrainian film industry to ban such practices. This support of the Russian terrorist state with taxes obligates Ukrainian executives to carefully scrutinize every single title.

Kyiv International Short Film Festival

Is there a specific element (visual accomplishments, acting, editing, etc.) you’re going to pay attention to as a jury member or the overall experience is the most important for you in a film?

I value the audience's time. So for me, it is not about any particular element but the effectiveness of each given film. I appreciate works that are clear, well-measured, and able to deliver the message effectively.

What do you expect from the international competition of Friss Hús?

I enjoy being surprised. So I’d like to see some brave, daring and inventive films that aim to discover new forms, ideas, and ways of expression while remaining relevant.

Warsha

What are your favorite short films from the past years?

It’s really hard to pick some favourites, there are so many! However, certain films pop into mind more often than others. One short film that stood out in 2022 was Warsha directed by Dania Bdeir. It’s just so sensual and heart-wrecking in the best possible way.